New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-27
4 STRANGE PICTURE.
v.enna Letter 10 me London patty Ye,es.

Vienna LfncT 10 me LOHdoH Diiy NfVS
most extraordinary picture IS being exhibited
in Vienna Just now. the fpctd7 by \. Eocklin pur-
chased for me National Gallery ,, c'n at ca, Ing
1t one Of the best works German art has at any
1 nnse dp kin moi eVnry mars paIncr and
although tho highly cultivated stand I'm ccstacies
endowed with but ordinary human eyes and an
average underst anding shake their heads and move
once saw very small Bocklin, which he had Just
finished, and had left there for Makar and Ieubach
to Judge There female figure t1cd to a tree
a woman by no means bcautiul-bui then EOchlin IS
not particular in selecting his models and always
paints them exactly he sees them. On the green
est grass / saw, the wOman's feet, writhrd
dragon or serpent presenting all the colors OF The
above, a cold steel blue sky. That was all Leu.
bach had told me that IT was a Bochin so as could
patient, and said Beautiful, isn't ~ as ~ was
all dared at first roply. Can YOU With your hand
had taken courage. dwell, Perhaps not
beautiful, Du, useful, Instructive to us painters
Will not attempt TO describe his last picture,
which is quito sensational event IN the world Of
dividing II into 50 many sections There IS a layer
of gray granite at the bottom, upon which rcpoSes
O Of flowers, Oleanders and roses, draws rigid
line. On the marble slab lies the ouistrctchcd figure
tho beard standing from the chin and disclosing
tho neck and breast. over this motioncss dead
despair, and tho artist, too modest TO grapple with
great task ~ tho pcturing Of an ag0nlzcd
mother, shows nothing OF hef save hrf Two hhnNS,
one thin, transparent, warm with life and motion,
pressing hard against tho pale shoulder Of tho dead,
tho other inserted among his tangled locks. All the
rest Is q cloak Of 6oep blue, almost black The back
ground is tho stcolblue sky Of nghtfall, cold not
withstandlng It's intensity Of color. Out Of this blue
ether rises without attempt at transition, bal
cony Of warm brownish and ycllowlsh clouds, dark
below, bright above, and In their centre figure
loans forward with outstretchcd arm, gazing fxidy
downward at tho PROSTATE Mother Of Christ. All
the power OF his palette has BocklIn concentrated
In this figure, with It's purple garments, its brilliant
flesh and shining chestnut hair. Behind 1t a group
Of baby angels witness tho scene, and express Joy,
surprise and sorrow In their pretty and very human
cOunenanccs Tho light OF heaven surrounds these
figures in tho upper part Of tho picture, rendered
intense perhaps because tho painting is shown
at night only, by tho light Of half dozen bright
foot lamps. OF course this artificial effect VIII have
to be given up when tho picture has taken IT'S place
in the Berlin National Gallery, where II VIII DO seon
In tho bright light Of day When VIC have got over
the first shock caused by tho assertion that tho
brilliant young figure in the skies Is Christ risen
from tho dead, our eyes feast on the splendid con
trasts Of color shown on relatively small canvas.
Tho effoct of tho Mothers dark blue cloak on tho
different whites Of the marble and the dead IS mar
velous and the amount Of light concentrated In tho
group above tho clouds is difficult to account Tor.